


Gfjun-Touched

by bardsley



Category: Frozen (2013)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-20
Updated: 2016-08-20
Packaged: 2018-08-09 23:58:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7822276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bardsley/pseuds/bardsley
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arendelle’s farms are struggling. Elsa meets a woman who claims she can help. The woman makes Elsa feel something that she has never felt before.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Gfjun-Touched

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sumi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sumi/gifts).



> I hope that you like the story. 
> 
> I do not own “Frozen”. No profit is being made. 
> 
> Many thanks to DarkAngelAzrael for editing. All of the remaining mistakes are my own.

Elsa had never seen a wheat field before but looking out at the limp white stalks, she knew that this was not what a wheat field was supposed to look like.

 

“It’s all dying…” Elsa winced.

 

“Yes, that’s why I wanted you to see this,” Kristoff replied. Elsa looked up at him with a pained expression. He hastily added, “Your Highness.”

 

Sven the reindeer made an apologetic bleat. His huge head rested on Kristoff’s shoulder.

 

Elsa sighed. She looked at the ruddy, round face of Bjorn, the farmer. He stood several feet away from Elsa. His head was bowed and he was holding his hat. Bjorn’s wife, Magda, was beside him. One of her plump arms was draped lightly around the shoulders of her son, Bjorn II, or as the boy had cheekily introduced himself, Bjorn Again.

 

Magda and Bjorn Again were looking at Elsa with open curiosity, but the farmer looked nervous, almost frightened of her. Elsa could not tell if that was because she was the queen or if it was because Elsa had brought this blight to the farmer’s crops herself when she caused the Eternal Winter.

 

“I tried to tell Kristoff not to trouble you with… err… our troubles, Your Highness—”

 

“ _Our_ troubles,” Elsa interrupted. “Your troubles are mine too. Arendelle is my kingdom and this is my responsibility.” It would have been her responsibility even if she were not the cause.

 

Bjorn Again looked up at Elsa with an absolute trust that made her heart clench. “What will you do, Your Highness?”

 

Elsa flinched. She opened her mouth to speak, but she had nothing to say. It was not as if she could make the crops grow again.

 

“Oh, my millet!” Magda gasped.

 

Elsa cringed. “I’m sorry! I—”

 

Sven scampered in place, the way he did when someone waved a large bundle of carrots in front of his face.

 

Elsa finally noticed that Magda wasn’t looking at her anymore. Magda, like all the others, was looking beyond Elsa to the field. The wheat stalks were changing from white to a healthy golden brown. They sprang up high and filled the air with the lovely scent of fresh spring Earth.

 

Sven darted off into the fields, hooves scrambling for a moment in his eagerness.

 

“Hey, hold on!” Kristoff called. Then out of the other side of his mouth, in a voice Elsa had come to recognize as being meant to be Sven, Kristoff answered his own command. “No way!”

 

The reindeer was off, darting into the field.

 

“Hey buddy! Come back!”

 

Kristoff followed. The wheat had grown so high that Elsa could barely see the top of Sven’s furry brown back above the wheat.

 

“You did it!” Bjorn Again shouted excitedly. He tore himself out from beneath his mother’s arm and dashed toward Elsa with open arms. The little boy pulled the queen into a tight hug before either of his parents could stop him. “She did it! The Queen saved us!”

 

Elsa was too stunned to do anything but stand there while the boy hugged her. After a moment, he let go and raced after Sven into the field.

 

“Wait!” Elsa called. She did not know what was causing the crops to thrive again, but she was absolutely certain that it wasn’t her. Not knowing what was responsible, her instincts told her to be cautious.

 

But Bjorn Again wasn’t listening. He had already disappeared into the field. Elsa started to follow, but she could already see that Sven had turned around. He had started to come back toward them. Bjorn Again laughed happily as he was tossed high into the air. It looked like he was being lifted up by the wheat itself. He twisted and landed heavily on the reindeer’s broad back, still giggling.

 

Sven and Bjorn Again broke through the curtain of wheat a few moments later. Kristoff was at his side. Both the reindeer and his friend were grinning. The little boy’s smile was threatening to split his face.

 

“Isn’t she wonderful?” Bjorn Again sighed.

 

“I-I didn’t do this,” Elsa replied.

 

“Not you,” Bjorn said bluntly. “Her.”

 

At that moment, the wheat parted all on its own. A woman stepped out of the field. She wore a bright red _naisenlakki_ headdress and a turquoise blue dress adorned with a red shawl. The shawl was fixed around her shoulders with a gold medallion and intricately embroidered in red, yellow, and blue. Her long black hair was pulled back into a tight crown of braids. She smiled at Elsa, inclining her head in a respectful nod. “Hello, Your Highness.”

 

“Who are you?” Magda asked, speaking the very words on Elsa’s mind.

 

“Erika, the future Duchess of Weselton, at your service,” Erika answered with a respectful curtsy. Looking to Elsa, she lowered her dark brown eyes. Her long, black eyelashes fanned out against her cheeks. She curtsied lower.

 

“The _future_ Duchess of Weselton?” Elsa replied.

 

“As of next week,” Erika replied, popping back up. The mischievous smile on Erika’s face reminded Elsa a little bit of Anna, but was somehow completely different at the same time.

 

“So, you are going to marry the duke?” Elsa asked.

 

“Oh, please!” Erika’s laugh was sincere and full-bodied. “No. I am the duke’s new heiress. At least I will be if I improve trade with Arendelle.”

 

“Arendelle has no trade business with Weselton at all.” Elsa grimaced. That really wasn’t what was important here. “Do you know anything about the field?”

 

“Which means that the bar for improving trade relations is pretty low,” Erika replied. She waved dismissively. She reached down and plucked some wildflowers out of the dirt, roots and all. The flowers blossomed in Erika’s hand. They grew larger and larger, their petals taking on colors so lustrous that they seemed to glisten. She leaned forward, whispering to Elsa as if sharing a secret. “I’ve always been good with plants.”

 

Elsa heard a loud gasp. It was her own.

 

Erika took a handkerchief out of her pocket. She wrapped the roots of the flowers inside it and offered the blossoming bouquet to Elsa.

 

Elsa did not intend to move, but she was moving, reaching back to take the bouquet. It was beautiful, but she didn’t look at it. She could not look away from Erika’s dark, smiling eyes.

 

Erika didn’t have ice powers, but Elsa had never met anyone with any kind of powers at all before.

 

“Isn’t this great?” Kristoff enthused. “She could fix everything!”

 

The comment brought Elsa back to herself. To her kingdom. To her responsibilities. She looked over at Kristoff. Her expression must have been sharp because he took a step back.

 

“Or… you know… not…?”

 

“Oh, you are a God-send!” Magda said, rushing over to Erika.

 

“Nope, just a duke-send,” Erika joked, basking in the attention.

 

Bjorn had tears at the corners of his eyes. “I cannot thank you enough. You’ve saved us.”

 

“Well…” Erika feigned modesty for a moment. But just for a moment. “Okay. I did.” She laughed.

 

Elsa could not help but think how differently people were reacting to Erika’s powers than they did to revelations of Elsa’s own. She knew that it was not fair, but she could not help but think about it anyway.

 

Bjorn Again slid down from Sven’s back and tumbled into Erika’s open arms. Erika did not hesitate to pull the boy close and cuddle with him.

 

Elsa interrupted the affectionate scene. Her tone was cold. “I suppose that whatever you did for this farm, you can do for others?”

 

Erika squeezed Bjorn Again one more time before letting go. She curtsied to Elsa again, looking her directly in the eyes. “Yes, Your Highness, for all of Arendelle.”

 

“Then we should talk,” Elsa said. “Would you please come with us back to the castle?”

 

“With pleasure, Your Highness,” Erika answered. She genuinely sounded like she meant it.

 

Elsa nodded. She moved toward Kristoff’s sled.

 

Without needing to be told, Kristoff sighed, and muttered, “Come on, Sven!”

 

The reindeer frolicked forward, stopping at the head of the sled. Kristoff started putting on his harness.

 

Erika sauntered forward, climbing in next to Elsa. Elsa felt the warm brush of Erika’s arm against hers. Just by being next to her, the flowers that Elsa held grew bigger. Elsa looked at Erika in reluctant wonder. Erika smiled shyly back at her with a surprising lack of bluster.

 

“Alright!” Kristoff hopped into the sled, inserting himself between the two women. “Ready to go!”

 

Kristoff took up the reins. Elsa flushed and looked away. Erika’s smile became more playful. It seemed to occur to Kristoff for the first time that he was interrupting something.

 

“Uh…”

 

Elsa looked back at Bjorn and his family. They stood together at the edge of the field, hugging each other in their joy.

 

“I really am happy for you,” Elsa told them quietly.

 

“Oh… Your Highness…” Bjorn wiped tears from the corners of his eyes. He could not seem to finish. Magda hugged him close.

 

“Thank you,” Magda said. She patted her husband’s arm.

 

Elsa knew that it should not be her that they were thanking, even if they were only thanking her for her concern. She felt determined to make things right.

 

“Are we going?” Kristoff asked. He sounded like he still was trying to find his footing.

 

Elsa nodded decisively. “Let’s go.”

 

“Let’s go!” Kristoff called out loudly. They started out at a trot, heading back toward the castle. A glistening sheet of snow appeared in front of the sled, evaporating as the sled passed over it.

 

“Wow. So it’s true. You’re the real deal,” Erika observed, looking beyond Kristoff over at Elsa.

 

Kristoff laughed. “Yeah, she is. You should have seen when she first…”

 

He felt both women looking at him and went quiet. “I didn’t say anything,” he coughed.

 

“It looks like you’re ‘the real deal’ too,” Elsa said, gesturing to the flowers. “…I’ve never met anyone else with powers before.”

 

“Neither have I,” Erika admitted.

 

“Really?” Elsa asked. She did not know why she felt so surprised.

 

“Really,” Erika confirmed. “Oh, I heard plenty of stories. Someone’s cousin’s best friend’s brother knew someone else who had seen a travelling knight with wind powers. That kind of thing. None of the stories really seemed believable, until I heard stories about you.”

 

“I never even heard stories…” Elsa said. She did not even realize how lonely that had made her feel until she didn’t feel like that anymore.

 

“A lot of things are probably different now, right, Your Highness?” Erika replied.

 

Elsa wasn’t sure what Erika meant by that, but the way that Erika was looking at her made her blush. She turned her head. “Probably.”

 

Elsa didn’t know what she was feeling, but she didn’t want to give herself away. Elsa found herself glancing back at Erika. The little smile on Erika’s face told her that she wasn’t hiding anything.

 

Kristoff coughed. He leaned toward Elsa. “You can just pretend I’m not here…”

 

…oh! If even Kristoff saw through her… And there was no way that he wasn’t going to tell Anna. Elsa bit her lip and pretended not to notice the way that Erika was laughing behind her hand.

 

They arrived at the castle without Elsa dying of embarrassment. She stepped out of the sled. Kristoff was right behind her.

 

“Nice house,” Erika observed.

 

“Good time, buddy! You got us here fast,” Kristoff said, patting Sven’s back. Kristoff took a carrot out of his pack and tossed it at Sven. Sven caught it out of the air and swallowed it whole.

 

Elsa turned and found Erika beside her. She seemed to be standing very close. Elsa hugged the flowers close to her.

 

“Please, come inside and we can—”

 

“Elsa! Kristoff!”

 

Anna was running toward them with Olaf trotting along behind her. Anna’s hair ribbons trailed behind her.

 

“How did it go with the farmers?” Anna asked. She skidded to a stop in front of them. She jumped a little bit when Olaf crashed into her legs. Anna checked behind to make sure Olaf was okay.

 

“I’m okay!” the little snowman announced, waving his sticklike arms. His carrot nose was sticking through to the other side of his head.

 

Anna bent down and gently pushed the carrot out the other way.

 

“Oh, thank you!” Olaf cried cheerfully.

 

Anna straightened up and laughed bashfully. She seemed to notice Erika for the first time. “Hello?”

 

Erika smiled and curtsied. “Hello. Princess Anna, I presume?”

 

“Yes,” Anna answered. “Who are—?”

 

“Hi Erika!” Olaf said, waving vigorously. He removed one of his arms, so he could wave it higher.

 

Erika grinned. “Hi, Olaf!”

 

Elsa blinked with surprise. “You two know each other?”

 

“I saw Olaf wandering around outside the castle and asked him where to find you,” Erika answered, sounding pleased with herself. “Living snowman. Powerful Snow Queen. He seemed to be the guy to ask.”

 

“Oh! Oh! Oh! And Erika gave me a present,” Olaf declared excitedly. He dashed over to Sven, and plucked off his nose. He waved his carrot-nose under Sven's snout.

 

Sven wasn’t able to resist. He bit into Olaf’s nose. Chewed. Swallowed. The reindeer seemed to realize what he had done. His eyes grew sad and guilty.

 

Olaf’s carrot-nose sprouted from the nub still clutched in Olaf’s fist. In moments, it was just as big as it was before. Olaf crowed with delight. He put the carrot back on his face.

 

“Isn’t it great!” he asked.

 

Anna watched, open-mouthed. She looked from Olaf to Erika. She looked at the bouquet of flowers Elsa held. Elsa could see questions forming in Anna’s mind just by looking in her eyes.

 

“It’s great,” Elsa agreed. She turned to Erika. “Let’s go inside to talk.”

 

“I’d be happy to, your highness,” Erika agreed.

 

Both women started to leave.

 

“Elsa?”

 

Elsa looked back at her sister. “We will talk later. I promise.”

 

Anna still looked like she wanted to ask questions, but she nodded without saying anything else.

 

Erika and Anna walked side-by-side into the castle. Neither of them spoke. The silence felt comfortable. Elsa led them to the room that he had made her private office. Her parents’ portraits hung on the walls.

 

Elsa went to sit behind her desk. She carefully placed the flowers on the desk. Not a drop of dirt spilled. Elsa didn’t invite Erika to sit.

 

Elsa hung on to the silence for a moment longer before deciding to break it. “I think it’s obvious the advantage that you have here. Farms all around Arendelle need help.”

 

“Not just Arendelle – if it matters – farms even outside the kingdom were affected by the not-so Eternal Winter,” Erika said, a little too cheerfully for Elsa’s taste.

 

“It matters,” Elsa replied sharply. She sighed. Her tone softened. “So I need you. But, I’ll ask you to think twice before trying to press your advantage too much. An ailing Arendelle would not be any good for Weselton.”

 

“What was your trade agreement like before the duke ruined everything?” Erika asked.

 

Elsa was startled. She was startled at Erika’s wording and that Erika had to ask. She was a little startled that it seemed like Erika would trust her to tell the answer. Elsa gave Erika a broad answer.

 

“Great!” Erika said. She sat on the edge of Elsa’s desk. “Let’s go back to that?”

 

“You would be willing to do that?” Elsa was not sure that she could believe what she heard.

 

“The arrangement that I made with the duke was that if I persuade you to resume trading, then he would proclaim me his successor,” Erika said. “I don’t need to squabble for a better deal.”

 

Elsa moved to her feet. “Is that all you care about?”

 

“Well, not all, but it didn’t seem right to ask for a kiss too…” Erika replied. Her eyes dropped to Elsa’s mouth.

 

The temperature in the room dropped ten degrees.

 

Erika wrapped her arms around herself. She still shuddered visibly. “Oh. Not good timing. I see.”

 

“Not good anything! And you don’t see!” Elsa argued. Her blush felt all the warmer due to the chill in the air. “Being a ruler means having a responsibility to your people, not just getting something for yourself.”

 

Erika was staring openly at Elsa, but Elsa couldn’t bring herself to care.

 

“You really mean that, don’t you?” Erika asked.

 

“I know it,” Elsa said. She brought herself under control. The temperature in the room started to warm, but nothing else did. “I think you should go.”

 

“Yes,” Erika said. “I think I should go too.”

 

Elsa felt too numb to feel surprised by Erika’s lack of argument. She heard Erika’s footsteps move toward the door and then the sound of the door closing.

 

No, Arendelle needed help too much to let Erika walk away. Elsa ran to the door and pulled it open. “Erika!”

 

The hall was empty. There was no sign of Erika. “Erika?”

 

Elsa heard rapid footsteps coming up the hall. The hope she felt hurt. It hurt even more when she saw her beautiful sister’s concerned face. Kristoff followed close behind her.

 

“Is everything okay?” Anna asked.

 

“No. No, I told Erika to leave, and I— we need her,” Elsa answered.

 

“I’ll go find her,” Kristoff said. He didn’t wait for an answer before darting down the hall. Elsa felt grateful for that.

 

Anna stepped closer. She wrapped her arm around Elsa, led her back into the office, and shut the door. “What happened? Kristoff said that you and Erika were getting along.”

 

Elsa could just imagine what Kristoff said. Elsa covered her face with her hands. “She only cares about herself. I… She’s the first person that I’ve met with powers. But… But we need her!”

 

“Shh… Don’t worry. Kristoff is going to find her,” Anna said, patting Elsa’s arm.

 

“What if she won’t help?” Elsa asked.

 

“If she only cares about herself, then she will be easy to persuade,” Anna answered. “And if she cares about other people at all, she will help because it is the right thing to do.”

 

Elsa looked up through her fingers. She saw Anna. Anna was smiling. Elsa straightened up. She let her hands drop. “I hope that you are right. I’ll tell the guards to look for her too.”

 

“I’ll tell them. You stay here.”

 

Anna left.

 

Alone, Elsa settled back in her chair. Kristoff would find Erika. Anna was right. Erika should not be too difficult to persuade. She hoped. The future of Arendelle was more important than anything, but that was not what Elsa found herself thinking about. She had never met anyone with powers before today. It was wrong to miss the connection. She looked at the bouquet. They were the most beautiful flowers that Elsa had ever seen. Maybe she had just imagined a connection that wasn’t there.

 

There was a soft snick sound as the door opened. Elsa was a little afraid of Anna coming back. She didn’t know why. She felt guilty for feeling afraid. Anna put her arms around Elsa from behind.

 

“I shouldn’t have sent her away,” Elsa said.

 

“No, you shouldn’t have,” Anna agreed. Her tone was light and without judgement.

 

“I don’t know why I—” Elsa stopped talking when Anna laughed. She looked at Anna over her shoulder.

 

“You do. You know why you sent her away. You know why she made you upset.” Anna smiled at Elsa tenderly. She brushed her fingers through Elsa’s hair. “You never get mad. People never get to you. Erika got to you.”

 

“What are you saying?” Elsa asked.

 

Anna made a noncommittal sound. She shrugged.

 

Elsa sighed. She leaned back against Anna. That’s what Elsa had been afraid of. Anna always had a way of seeing through her. Neither of the sisters said anything. Elsa looked at Arendelle out the window. It was a perfect summer day.

 

“Kai talked to me today,” Anna said, when the silence had stretched for a long time. “He wanted me to talk to you about the possibility of you taking a husband and Arendelle having a king.”

 

Elsa shook her head. “Arendelle isn’t going to have a king.”

 

“I know,” Anna answered. Her voice was accepting, and quietly cheerful. “Another queen, maybe?”

 

“Maybe,” Elsa agreed.

 

“You know I love you, right?” Anna asked.

 

Elsa closed her eyes when she felt them start to tear. “I know. I still like hearing it.”

 

Elsa twisted her body toward Anna, hugging her little sister tight. “I love you too.”

 

Elsa felt warm.

 

 

 

By nightfall, Elsa felt more than a little uneasy. No one had returned with word about Erika. Throughout the night, Elsa stayed awake thinking about what her flash of temper could have cost her kingdom.

 

When the early morning light began to shine through the crack in the heavy curtains, Elsa gave up any pretense of trying to sleep. She got out of bed and walked toward the window. Elsa threw open the curtains.

 

Elsa squeaked. She looked around to make sure that no one else was able to hear. Elsa covered her mouth with her hand.

 

Arendelle looked like an enchanted forest. As far as her eyes could see, every plant in the kingdom looked like it was thriving.

 

Elsa saw Kristoff and Sven arrive with their sled. They were not alone. Erika was with them.

 

Elsa threw on a robe over her nightgown. She raced down the steps, dodging past Kai, and running outside. Erika was curled inside the sled. She looked exhausted, but she smiled when she saw Elsa. Erika’s braids were loose. Her hair was mussed. There were dark circles under her eyes. Elsa had never seen anyone so beautiful.

 

Kristoff took one look at them, unharnessed Sven, and quickly walked away while whistling to himself.

 

Elsa stopped in front of Erika. She had been thinking about what to say to Erika all night. Nothing seemed to be right because nothing was the way she expected. “You…? Why?”

 

“Because of you,” Erika answered. “I’ve never met a ruler who cares so much about her people. I mean, I’m from Weselton. You inspired me.”

 

Elsa smiled. Hope hurt, but she would not trade this feeling for anything. Elsa sprang forward. She threw her arms around Erika, and kissed her. Erika’s lips tasted like nectar and were petal-soft.

 

They were both blushing when they broke apart.

 

“Well, at least I got the most important part of the deal,” Erika joked.

 

“I’ll resume trade with Weselton,” Elsa said.

 

“Oh, really?”

 

“It was impulsive of me to declare Arendelle would never trade with Weselton again. It was bad for both countries.” Elsa could barely believe what she was saying. Trade was the last thing she wanted to talk about right now.

 

“So it wasn’t my kiss that convinced you?” Erika teased.

 

Elsa shook her head in dismay.

 

“No,” Elsa answered. Erika pretended to pout. “But that might be part of why I will ask the duke to allow you to remain in Arendelle during our sensitive negotiations.”

 

“Just how sensitive do you think these negotiations will be?” Erika asked. Her fingers slid up the bare skin on Elsa’s arm.

 

Elsa shivered. She noticed the sound of boots stomping toward them. She slowly straightened up. The guards were escorting Bjorn and his family toward the castle. Bjorn Again ran ahead of them. He was carrying a tray of pastries which he held over his head proudly.

 

“We brought _krumkake_!” he declared excitedly.

 

Elsa could not help but notice the _krumkake_ crumbs at the corners of Bjorn Again’s mouth and down his shirt.

 

“We just wanted to thank you —” Bjorn said.

 

“—both of you—” Magda added.

 

“—for, well, for saving us,” Bjorn stammered. He seemed surprised to see Elsa in her nightclothes. He didn’t seem to know where to look.

 

Magda nodded her head enthusiastically. “We all did.”

 

 _All?_ Elsa thought.

 

More people came. They were dressed in simple clothes and carrying baskets of apples, fresh bread, and other sweet-smelling things. The courtyard in front of the castle was slowly filling up. Elsa had never sat down and had a meal with people of her kingdom. At this moment, that seemed like a big mistake.

 

Elsa leaned toward Erika. “Stay for breakfast?”

 

“Try and stop me,” Erika replied.

 

Elsa didn’t.

**Author's Note:**

> Gefjun is the name of an ancient Norse goddess of agriculture. I considered the name for Erika, but decided to reference the goddess in the title instead.
> 
>  _Naisenlakki_ is a kind of tradition clothing worn by Sami women. Erika's clothes were based on traditional Sami wardrobe.


End file.
